The Self – Condensed Exam Notes
Philosophical Perspectives of the Self
Socrates: “know-thyself”; moral life demands self-awareness.
Plato: soul has 3 parts—rational (logic), spirited (emotion/courage), appetitive (desires).
Aristotle: soul’s 3 parts—vegetative, appetitive, rational; goal of life = eudaimonia (flourishing) via reason & virtue.
Medieval Perspectives
Saint Augustine: self is spiritual; true fulfillment only through God; upholds free-will.
Thomas Aquinas: hylomorphism—body (matter) + soul (form); soul functions: rational, sensitive, vegetative.
Early-Modern Perspectives
Descartes: “Cogito\, ergo\, sum”; self = thinking substance; mind vs. body dualism.
Locke: personal identity = continuity of consciousness (memory).
Hume: self = bundle of perceptions, no fixed unity.
Existential & Phenomenological Views
Kierkegaard: self = synthesis of finite & infinite; requires commitment & faith.
Heidegger: self understood through “being-in-the-world”; defined by possibilities.
Sartre: self created by choices; radical freedom & responsibility.
Contemporary Insights
Parfit: personal identity grounded in psychological continuity/connectedness, not a fixed core.
Butler: self (especially gender) is performative—produced by repeated social acts.
Self, Society, and Culture
Socialization:
• Primary—early learning of language & norms.
• Secondary—later influences (school, peers, media).Role Theory: behavior shaped by expected patterns linked to social positions.
Culture:
• Collectivist—priority to group/family, interdependence.
• Individualist—priority to personal goals, independence.Inclusive, diverse leadership = positive social change.
The Self as Cognitive Construct
William James: “I” (agent) vs. “Me” (object).
Rogers: same split; self-concept not fixed yet relatively stable.
Self-schema: organized knowledge of self.
Freud: id, ego, superego interaction shapes behavior.
Mead: self emerges through social interaction (self-concept = internal view × external feedback).
Carver & Scheier: private self (inner) vs. public self (outward image).
Self-schemas: actual, ideal, ought selves; gaps influence emotion/behavior.
Bowen: differentiation—balance individuality & relationship; poor vs. healthy differentiation.
Bandura: Agentic self with 4 properties—intentionality, forethought, self-reactiveness, self-reflectiveness.
Self-esteem: evaluation of self; shaped by social context; downward comparison can boost it.
Western vs. Eastern Thought
Western (individualistic): focus on person, equality, loose group ties.
Eastern/Asian (collectivistic): emphasize group harmony, cooperation.
Confucianism: ethical conduct; self-cultivation towards Chun!!-tzu (noble character).
Taoism: follow the Tao; embrace relativity & paradox, minimal self definition.
Buddhism: self is an illusion; goal = detach, reach Nirvana.
Filipino Perspective
Sikolohiyang Pilipino et al.: Filipino self = “Kapwa” (shared identity); values cooperation & social acceptance.
easy ver
Philosophical Views of You
Socrates: "Know yourself"; being a good person means understanding who you are.
Plato: Believed your soul has 3 parts:
Rational: The logical part that thinks and makes decisions.
Spirited: The emotional and brave part.
Appetitive: The part that wants things like food, drink, and comfort.
Aristotle: Thought the soul also has 3 parts:
Vegetative: For basic life functions like growth and reproduction (like plants).
Appetitive: For desires and feelings (like animals).
Rational: For thinking and reasoning (unique to humans); said the goal of life is to achieve eudaimonia (true happiness or flourishing) by using your reason and good habits.
Medieval Views
Saint Augustine: Believed your true self is spiritual; you can only find real happiness through God; also believed in free will (the ability to make your own choices).
Thomas Aquinas: Thought people are a mix of body (physical stuff) and soul (the shape or form that makes you alive); said the soul has functions:
Rational: For thinking.
Sensitive: For feeling things.
Vegetative: For basic life functions.
Early-Modern Views
Descartes: Famous for "I\, think,\, therefore\, I\, am"; believed your self is a thinking being; saw the mind and body as two separate things.
Locke: Said your personal identity is based on your continuous memory; you are the same person as long as you can remember being that person.
Hume: Argued that the "self" is just a collection of different senses and feelings happening all the time, with no fixed, unchanging core.
Existential & Phenomenological Views
Kierkegaard: Thought the self is a mix of what's limited (like your body) and what's unlimited (like your spirit); needs strong belief and commitment.
Heidegger: Believed you understand yourself by being actively involved in the world; your possibilities define who you are.
Sartre: Said you create yourself through your choices; you have complete freedom and are fully responsible for what you become.
Modern Ideas
Parfit: Believed personal identity comes from psychological connections and memories, not from a single, unchanging core part of you.
Butler: Argued that your self (especially gender) is like a performance—it's created by repeated actions and how society expects you to act.
You, Society, and Culture
Socialization: How you learn to be part of society.
Primary: Early learning (like language and basic rules) often from family.
Secondary: Later learning from school, friends, and media.
Role Theory: Your behavior is shaped by what's expected of you in different social roles (e.g., student, friend, child).
Culture:
Collectivist: Groups or families are most important; people prefer to work together and depend on each other.
Individualist: Personal goals and independence are most important.
Good leadership for all leads to positive social change.
The Self as a Thinking Structure
William James: Distinguished between the "I" (the part of you that acts and thinks) and the "Me" (the part of you that you see and describe).
Rogers: Had a similar idea; your self-concept (how you see yourself) isn't set in stone but is fairly stable.
Self-schema: Your organized ideas and knowledge about yourself.
Freud: Thought behavior is shaped by the interaction of three parts:
Id: Your basic desires.
Ego: The realistic part that balances desires and rules.
Superego: Your moral compass/conscience.
Mead: Believed the self develops through talking with others; how you see yourself is a mix of your own view and how others see you.
Carver & Scheier: Talked about your private self (your inner thoughts) versus your public self (how you show yourself to others).
Self-schemas: Your "actual" self (who you are), "ideal" self (who you want to be), and "ought" self (who you should be); big differences between these can affect how you feel.
Bowen: Talked about differentiation—how well you balance being an individual with being part of a relationship; means either poor (too dependent/too separate) or healthy balance.
Bandura: Described the "Agentic self" as having 4 key features:
Intentionality: Making plans and deciding what to do.
Forethought: Thinking ahead about outcomes.
Self-reactiveness: Adjusting your actions based on your plans.
Self-reflectiveness: Thinking about and evaluating your own actions and thoughts.
Self-esteem: How you feel about yourself; can be boosted by comparing yourself to someone doing worse (downward comparison).
Western vs. Eastern Ways of Thinking
Western (like Europe/North America): Focus on the individual person, equality, and loose group ties.
Eastern/Asian: Emphasize group harmony and cooperation.
Confucianism: Focuses on good behavior; becoming a Chun-tzu (a noble person) through self-improvement.
Taoism: Encourages following the Tao (the way of nature); accepting opposites and not having a strict idea of self.
Buddhism: Believes the self is not real (an illusion); the goal is to let go of desires and reach Nirvana (a state of perfect peace).
Filipino View
Sikolohiyang Pilipino and others: The Filipino self is about "Kapwa" (shared identity or being connected to others); values teamwork and being accepted by the community.